Bill Text: DE HCR17 | 2019-2020 | 150th General Assembly | Draft

Delaware House Concurrent Resolution 17 (Prior Session Legislation)

Draft

Bill Title: Recognizing The Delaware Restaurant Association For Commitment Towards A Greater Environmental Sustainability And Efforts On A Straw Ban Policy.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-03-27 - Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES [HCR17 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2019-HCR17-Draft.html

SPONSOR:

Rep. Baumbach & Rep. Longhurst on behalf of all Representatives & Sen. Paradee on behalf of all Senators

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 17

RECOGNIZING THE DELAWARE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION FOR COMMITMENT TOWARDS A GREATER ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND EFFORTS ON A STRAW BAN POLICY.

WHEREAS, the plastic pollution contributes to the blight of our roadsides, communities, public spaces, coastlines, and marine environments; and

WHEREAS, Americans use an average of 1.6 plastic straws per person per day, which equates to over a half billion plastic straws discarded in Delaware each year; and

WHEREAS, approximately 2,000 straws are found annually during just 3 hours of the International Coastal Cleanup along Delaware’s coastlines each September; and

WHEREAS, plastic straws cannot be recycled and are either discarded in our landfills or become litter in the environment where they can harm wildlife and marine animals; and

WHEREAS, scientific studies have proven that single-use plastics attract toxic particles that carry health risks when consumed by humans; and

WHEREAS, plastic is not biodegradable and it breaks down into small particles which are consumed by animals, thereby entering the human food chain; and

WHEREAS, single-use plastic straws are sometimes provided to consumers without regard to whether or not they need or prefer to use a straw; and

WHEREAS, more than 75 Delaware dining establishments have already begun to address the waste of plastic straws by offering straws to customers only upon request; and

WHEREAS, the restaurant industry recognizes that for people with disabilities, straws may be essential and;

WHEREAS, the restaurant industry is using 50 percent paper and 50 percent plastic for their food service packaging needs; and

WHEREAS, non-plastic alternatives for straws, coffee stirrers, and cocktail picks are readily available, including those made of paper, pasta, sugar cane, wood, bamboo, metal, and glass; and

WHEREAS, regulations in many jurisdictions do not restrict plastic straw alternative to one choice and allows for innovation in the marketplace;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 150th General Assembly of the State of Delaware that the Delaware Restaurant Association be recognized for their dedication to better practices in environmental sustainability through a voluntary approach to 1) use fewer plastic straws by adopting an 'only by request' policy for single-use non-recyclable plastic straws, 2) eliminate the use of single-use non-recyclable plastic sandwich picks and coffee stirrers, and 3) adopt an 'only by request' policy for single-use non-recyclable plastic utensils.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly requires that the Delaware Restaurant Association track the year-long progress on its voluntary approach to use of fewer straws, and that the Association provide a progress report to the General Assembly no later than May 1, 2020.

SYNOPSIS

This resolution recognizes the Delaware Restaurant Association for efforts towards better environmental practices in restaurants through the use of fewer plastic straws. The resolution also requires that the Delaware Restaurant Association track the progress of its voluntary approach to reduce the use of plastic straws and provide a report to the General Assembly by May 1, 2020.